Lets Have A FAIR Talk About Cultural Appropriation

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▸ David
▸ Andrew
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#appropriation #asianmovie #bullettrain

Fung Bros

[Yinyueify]

The funny thing is that Asian Americans grew up being only seen as their ethnicity and getting their American side invalidated, and now native Asians are trying to invalidate their Asian side.
I clicked this video on a whim and didn't realize I would learn so much. I'm already aware of all the issues stated in this video, but the way both of them are explaining and wording everything is really interesting especially where they point out power dynamics.
I think what to take from this is that both "sides" need to listen to each other. Even as an ABC I do witness a lot of other young ABC gatekeeping without actually knowing what they're gatekeeping. But just because there's those on the extreme side doesn't mean you should dismiss all Asian American experiences.
Also, I'm like 70% sure the Chinese lady in the bandana was projecting her personal frustrations and using Asian Americans as her punching bag. Some people found out she herself participates in appropriation towards Black culture 🤷🤷

[GIN..A]

TL:DR: Asian Americans are constantly challenged about who they are, so they need to fight and preserve the part that makes them unique.
Motherland Asians are tired of who they are because its the same as everyone else. So they would love to culturally appropriate in order to craft their own unique identity. And because they want to do that, they are okay with being culturally appropriated too, because it does not affect their security in their own cultural identity.

A lot of people don't realize, asian americans are on the front lines of the "clash of cultures". living in a predominantly anglo saxon multiracial society in the US, Asian americans are constantly forced to "represent" their culture because they are a minority and only representation in their environment. So without a choice, most asian americans had to figure out more or less, what makes them THEM. Because lets face it, cultural melting pot or whatever, thats just marketing for american immigration, in practice, there is still very much an "AMERICAN american" and a " XXX American". So the lines needed to be clearly drawn to preserve their identity and prevent people from sharing their time in the sun, because for much of american history, they actively dismissed and disrespected such cultures.

On the other hand, Asian asians are the opposite. They are so assured in their "asianness" to their respective cultures in their day to day, their cultural identity has never, is not, and will never probably be challenged. In fact, for east asians at least, because east asian society is so conformist and homogeneous, they feel like they lack individual identity as a person. Through foreign representation, even if inaccurate and caricaturized ones, they feel seen and in turn by "becoming more western" through fashion, language, lifestyles, they feel like they are differentiating themselves from the millions of others just like them. But ironically, by trying to be different, they often end up adopting the same fashion styles and lifestyles anyways, which is kind of funny.

[YangBzz]

Love the new discussion mode! Keeps me entertained n engaged! Keep it up

[tobypark]

Those two tiktokers are in their rights to give their opinions on Asian American topics, but I think Asians from Asia need to "knock" before commenting on Asian American issues. I didn't like how Cklam was speaking down to us.

[kyreechase]

Being black and seeing the Asian struggles, helped me be more opened minded

[liammac]

Y’all have been killing it with the consistent uploads 🔥

[FeelTheRainOnYourSkin]

Hi, I'm not Asian. I appreciate what David said about doing the work. I've done a lot of personal work lately and it's involved realizing where I end and someone else begins. I used to get really worked up and like physically hot by people around making antiblack comments and sometimes they were black folks saying it. But I recently realized that I was letting boundaries cross as if them being around me and saying that somehow diminished my work on black liberation. But I think it's important to realize when people's opinion of a culture have nothing to do with me. And then realize when it really does. It's not worth losing my quality of life trying to change someone's opinion. Why would I put energy into trying to change someone? That's not possible cuz that person has to want to do it in the first place. Even if "I change someones opinion" it's that person's congratulations, not mine really! Gotta take responsibility for myself and let others do the same, if they don't wanna that's not my job! Love you guys! Been watching since 2010s 🤙🏽🥘

[pkay]

Good convo. I remember when Spain's women's basketball team posed in an ad with slanted eyes. There was a bit of controversy, but the people in mainland China said it didn't bother them. I don't think they understand the power dynamic. Never mind that a few years earlier, Spain's men's basketball team posed exactly the same way with slated eyes and defended their actions. Ironic that several of them played in the NBA, including Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio. They should know better.

[jordanlamar]

I love when they speak on topics like this I end up learning a lot.

[josiefischer]

I’m so glad you brought up that prager U video, it’s so annoying to me and I feel like that guy was definitely trolling.

[CountryMama]

You know you guys are keeping your views known, and I love it! I have a little girl I've known for 4 years, she saw a picture of me with my "eomma" (a woman who took can of in a very important time of my life/she was a mother to me/I love her very much). In the picture Eomma and I were hanging up Korean fans on my wall. That was an amazing afternoon, on a day that would turn into 1 of the worst nights of my life. Mai is adorable and for mine and my husbands anniversary she got a 3rd fan that matched my other fans. Then she said Auntie had to hang them on the wall like my Eomma did...and they are still up and I love them.
An Asian neighbor got super mad and threw food at me because I let Mai do that. My neighbor told me that as an ugly-fat-round-eyed-b*tch I should not own anything of Asian culture and the fact that I hate forks/spoons as they cause pain in my hand/wrist I use chopsticks is culture appropriation. Also, the fact that I am relearning Korean (that I spoke fluently as a child) was wrong. And the fact that my middle child and I plan to visit Asia when she is 18 is horrible and we (me&my daughter) should die for setting foot on her continent.
The neighbor was born in Michigan, has a white mom, and has never left the United States (she's never been to Hawaii either), also she can't speak anything other than English and when people speak their native tongue she calls them racial slurs (especially Asians).
The world is turning into a f*cked up place.
Quick question...as of 2020 there were almost 126 million JAPANESE people in Japan how were there only what 12 Asian people (extras included) in the whole damn movie?!

[parker]

just another certified fung bros banger

[Gnomesmusher]

Yeah I saw that PragerU video before. I saw many asians or people claiming to be asians saying that the outfit wasn't offensive. Those idiots didn't understand that the dude was wearing the outfit to be funny and troll people. He wasn't appreciative of the outfit, he was using it as a political prop. One guy in the video said he was using it like a costume which is exactly what happened. He was using it to dismiss the concerns that asian americans have even if he was trying to take a piss on liberals.

[MrKenng]

I love to binge watch your videos. They are just purely amazing.

[avecnayo]

I don’t think Asian Americans need to listen to Mainland Asians, the same way it would be absurd for, say a motherland African to tell Black Americans we shouldn’t be concerned with cultural appropriation in the US.

[lordsnim]

Appreciate you going through multiple perspectives on this issue. I’m a white American who lived in China for several years, learned the language, and now works as a translator. The “power dynamic” narrative bothers me a lot for two reasons:

1. In China, I saw plenty of Chinese people running a business from making Western-style food and clothes, and even fusing them together with Chinese styles. I experienced some discrimination and barriers that Chinese people didn’t, but I could never imagine using that as a reason to accuse people of “cultural appropriation” — to me that just seems like a vengeful and hateful thing to do.

2. In America, in the literary/translation community it’s socially acceptable to denigrate white people, accuse them of having a “white gaze”, and accuse them of the being inherently racist/colonialistic. I don’t think it’s accurate to say I enjoy any sort of “dominant” status in that community.

[tonykeo]

Mainland Asians that give their opinions on Asian-Americans issues doesn't bother me. Most of the time their opinions are just ignorant base on them not fully understanding the subject or the issues Asian-Americans is dealing with in America.

[FroZiroo]

As an Asian person born and raised in Asia and migrated to Canada 10 years ago. I understand why people in Asia dont really give a crap on whatever the West is doing to Asians/Asian culture. Because the Western media have already colonized the minds of people in Asia, they have so much influence in Asia already. I remember, when I was a kid everytime i see an asian woman gets casted in a Hollywood movie, I feel proud. I feel proud because i feel like, Asians have been finally appreciated. The mindset of people in Asia, is that we always look for affirmation from a western country especially USA. So, it doesnt matter what they do, we would feel grateful and honored.

To me whats happening right now is called "Modern day colonialism" Westerners realized they dont need to colonized land anymore because people are more important than land, without people they wont have anything. Also, no people to support you = no money

[ChicagoTurtle]

You can’t have capitalism without racism. - Malcom X

[isaacmartinez]

This is not something new. For example, Avril Lavigne made a song called "Hello Kitty" and featured a music video with Japanese culture and the location was in Tokyo. While people in America were angry about the music video, the Japanese people in Japan liked it. 

The reason: They don't care about cultural appropriation. Japan has an amazing film and music culture from Perfume to Godzilla. And they don't mind seeing films from America that have actors appearing in their country who aren't Japanese.